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The American Family In the American family the husband and wife usually share important decision making. When the children are old enough, they take part __C__1____. Foreigners are often surprised by the permissiveness of American parents. The old rule that children should be seen and not heard is rarely __B__2____, and children are often allowed to do what they wish without strict parental _A__3____. The father seldom expects his children to obey him ____4__C__ question, and children encouraged to be independent ___B___5_____ an early age. Some people believe that American parents carry this freedom ___A__6____ far. Others think that a strong father image would not ____7___C_ the American values of equality and independence. Because Americans emphasize the importance of independence, young people are expected to ____8__D__ their parental families by the time they have __A__9_____ their late teens or early twenties. ____10__C__, not to do so is often regarded as a failure, a kind of weak dependence. This pattern of independence often results in serious __B___11____ for the aging parents of a small family. The average American is expected to live __D__12____ the age of 70. The job-retirement age is ___B_13____ 65. The children have left home, married, and __C___14_____ their own households. At least 20 percent of all people over 65 do not have enough retirement incomes. __A__15____ the major problem of many elderly couples is not economic. They feel useless and lonely with neither an occupation nor a close family group. | 
